Matchmaker
by Kimi
Summary: Irina does some matchmaking (S/V) *Complete story* Please read & review!!!!!!!!! :)
1. Thoughts

Title: Matchmaker  
  
Author: Kimberly Cipko  
  
Spoilers: Basic season 2 (up to 'The Abduction') but nothing specific enough to ruin it for anyone.  
  
Time frame: Set after The Abduction for arguments sake but seeing as there is not much plot anyway, it doesn't matter that much.  
  
Rating: PG for very slight language  
  
Genre: General/Angst  
  
Pairing: S/V eventually!  
  
Disclaimer: Alias and its characters are the property of JJ Abrams, ABC and Bad Robot Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. I do take credit however, for the original situations and story. Besides, if I owned Alias or its characters - Syd and Vaughn would have done a bit more then hugged by now! lol  
  
CHAPTER 1 - THOUGHTS  
  
It was a typical, warm Los Angeles evening. The busy streets were still humming with activity, while the scent of money and greed mixed with the sweet smell of California hung lazily in the humid air. Sydney Bristow gently jogged through the large park, casually observing the people around her; contemplating what her life might be like, were she one of them. But that would never happen - nothing less then a miracle could make her free of SD-6 and her double life. "Stop dreaming Syd, it won't happen," a familiar little voice in her head reminded her. Yet for some reason, Sydney couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to walk down a street without worrying about being watched. or to be able to drive someplace without having to check for tails every 5 minutes.damn it! Even to be able to go on a normal date with a certain someone with out worrying for both their lives - but she may as well stop upsetting herself by dreaming of the virtually impossible. Sydney was distracted from her solemn thoughts by a loud shriek coming from behind her. She stopped abruptly and turned, her agile senses and spy training instantly kicking in. Expecting something bad (though she didn't know why), Sydney was relieved to see a little girl, playfully running away from who Sydney assumed to be her mother - both of them with huge grins plastered across their faces. However, what most people would see as a pleasant sight brought back painful memories of a little girl being left without a mother and of a woman who had recently been thrust back into her child's life without warning. Much as she had tried, recently, Sydney couldn't stop thinking about her mother..hell, "thinking" was a slight understatement - Syd was becoming obsessed with this woman, who had been absent from her life for so long, and who she couldn't even begin to understand. Sydney shook her head slightly, as if trying to stop thinking so much. She couldn't believe that some kid with some strange woman had managed to bring a salty, unwanted tear to her eye. In a way, she loved her mom - well, she was starting to. After all, Irena was being helpful to the CIA and she clearly had strong feelings about not wanting to leave her family. However, Sydney still wasn't sure if she trusted Irena - I mean, how could she? This woman had killed innocent people, working for their country..she had killed Vaughn's dad for God's sake! (the mere thought of Vaughn made Sydney's mind drift off into places it shouldn't but she forced it back to her previous, more serious thoughts). Particularly after Kashmir and the memorable expression of feelings on the rooftop a few weeks after, Sydney had come to accept Irena as her mother yet again. She didn't trust her, and maybe she didn't forgive her, but she accepted the fact that Irena Derevko - former KGB officer, queen of organised crime - was her mother. And daughters should love their mothers. These feelings were what Sydney needed to discuss with Irena, and that's where she was headed - to her mother's cell. She had carefully followed the now familiar routine - been checked for tails, dropped her penny in the 'vet's' cup and keyed in the codes on the telephone.  
  
A sudden wave of nerves hit Sydney as she walked through the dismal, unwelcoming corridors in the grey, CIA governed building - her calm, calculated footsteps giving away nothing as to her feelings. She nodded offhandedly to the few agents she recognised among the mass of working, government bodies. She was disappointed that Vaughn wasn't there to greet her, but Sydney figured that he must have much better things to do on a pleasant Saturday evening then go to work just to meet her.  
  
"I do to," she quietly reminded herself. Francie had invited Will over (not that he needed to be invited) and the three of them were supposed to be having a movie fest. However, Sydney knew that if she didn't go talk to her mother soon, it would drive her crazy - besides, she had hoped to see Vaughn too. So, she had made a quick excuse to Francie, told Will the truth (well, mostly) in private, and apologised profusely to both of them, before heading off for a "long run". 


	2. The Talk Part 1

CHAPTER 2 - THE TALK (PART 1)  
  
"Hey," said Sydney quietly, hoping that her slight nerves weren't showing through. "I wanted to talk to you about something." she paused, waiting for a response or at least a greeting, but all she got was a look in her mother's eyes that urged her to continue. "You've helped us a lot - dad, Vaughn, me," she stressed the last word and looked up to see Irina's reaction to the statement, particularly the mention of Vaughn's name - her mom was listening intently but didn't show a great reaction. Sydney continued, "And after what you said, on the roof..I guess I just..well I wanted you.I need to tell.." Sydney struggled for the right words, silently cursing herself for not preparing a speech and cursing her usually fantastic way with words for giving up on her. Irina watched as her daughter stuttered out the words, as if she were trying on each phrase to see if it fit and then deciding half way through that it didn't. She wished she could tell Syd that she understood, that she need not explain (she had a good idea of what her daughter was trying to tell her) but instead, she decided to let Sydney tell her herself, in her own way.  
  
Finally after a pause to sort out her thoughts and match them up to suitable words, Syd blurted out in a hurry, " I guess I just want you to know that I trust you - maybe that isn't too wise considering your past.." - Irina winced at the mention of her life away from Syd - "..but I do and that although I can't forgive the life that you have led for the past couple of decades, I think I understand why you had to leave in the first place and why you shot me in Taipei and for that, I forgive you." Her hurried confession had left all Sydney's careful words slurred and she ran back over her mini speech, her mind checking whether it made even vague sense. She glanced up at Irina, searching for an answer and saw a few stray tears, which her mother's eyes had failed to keep hold of, cascading down her tanned face and cheeks. She felt sorry for Irina but knew that she couldn't even begin to understand what her life must have been like. She was glad though, that at least now, Irina was making up for it and now she knew Sydney's true feelings towards her.  
  
"I love you, mom," Sydney added, almost as an afterthought and instantly regretted telling her mother something of that magnitude and emotional importance - she cursed herself, these things had to be planned out and Syd wasn't sure if now was the right time to be getting all mushy with a woman who she didn't really know that well at all. "At least now I've said it," she reasoned in her mind.  
  
Not expecting an answer, Sydney was surprised to say the least when Irina whispered, a hint of sadness and regret for the past in her voice, "I love you too Sydney, I always have," the last part, so quiet that even Sydney doubted if she had heard right. She then watched, rebel tears fighting their way out of her tear ducts and down her own cheeks, as Irina placed a slightly wrinkled hand onto the glass. Without thinking about it, Sydney realised that her own hand was making its way up to the glass, to match with her mothers. They stood there for a second, contemplating what had just happened, both visibly overwhelmed by the very sudden expression of emotion which neither were used to.  
  
After a few comfortably silent moments, Syd realised she needed to go and mull over the situation. She quickly took away her hand, forcefully wiped away her tears and stated in a rushed way, "I have to go now." She turned to leave but stopped when Irina shouted, "Wait! I wanted to talk to you about something!" Syd obediently returned to where she had been standing before and waited patiently for the impending question, wondering what or who it could concern. 


	3. Crush

CHAPTER 3 - CRUSH  
  
The words hit her like a punch in the face - "Do you love Vaughn?" Sydney just stared at her mother, somewhat in shock, her mind quickly trying to formulate a suitable answer. She was sure that her face had gone a deep shade of pink and the mischievous grin on Irina's face was slightly unnerving her.  
  
To be honest, Syd wasn't certain what the answer to her mother's question was. Of course, she'd asked herself the very same one, countless times but she still wasn't convinced on her feelings. Finally, she answered, "I care a lot for Agent Vaughn, we are good friends and I can trust and confide in him." Pleased with her diplomatic answer, Syd let a smug smile creep its way onto her lips. Irina however was not letting her off so easily. She didn't need any answer from Sydney because she knew for a fact that they both loved each other. However, now that she had found a new closeness with her daughter and knew that to a certain extent that Syd would open up to her, Irina quite fancied a bit of girl talk. It was a game to her, although it was clear that Sydney was becoming quite flustered about the topic. Irina's rarely shown playful side took over and she decided to probe further, knowing that Sydney would eventually open up and they could have another pleasant heart-to-heart mother/daughter chat. "I know you care for him Syd but that's not what I asked. What I want to know is, are you in love with him?" "Why do you want to know? It's not really your business. Besides, protocol won't allow for anything. Our relationship is professional. That's all." Sydney stated, trying to mask her obvious frustration and sound calm. She hated being asked about her feelings for Vaughn - it upset her because she knew deep down that nothing could ever happen. "I want to know, Sydney, because you are my daughter and I want to be part of your life again. I want to know who holds the key to your heart, who your friends are, what your hobbies are. I want to know you." Irina emphasised that last word and looked at Sydney lovingly. It was unusual for her to talk and act like this and she was still getting used to the 'new her'.  
  
However, she wasn't suddenly just super-nice, sweet loving mom, who wants to know everything about Syd - no, she had an ulterior motive (a nice one, but still something which she wished to hide from Sydney for as long as possible), a plan of her own. Sitting in the dingy, cold cell for months was getting to her and she needed some fun. Granted, Irina's knowledge of the outside world at the moment was extremely limited but the one thing she did know was that Sydney and Vaughn were meant for each other. She wanted to make up for her sins, at least if she made her daughter happy, that would count for something. Sure, she knew all about CIA protocol, but to be honest, she couldn't care less. Besides, she didn't want a miracle, only an admission of feelings. Actually she wanted anything to get rid of the thick layer of unresolved sexual tension that filled the room whenever Syd and Agent Vaughn were in it.  
  
"Sydney please, stop avoiding the question with your answers. You can tell me the truth, I'm not going to report you or anything, I just want to know," she said, urging Sydney to give her an answer. Sydney thought for a while, arguing with the voices in her head. She thought about Vaughn, his gorgeous green eyes, his tussled hair, his cute dimpled chin, the smile that made her go weak at the knees...yep, she was definitely in love and in her mind she knew that had always been the case, but the thought of saying it out loud scared her.  
  
Irina must have read Sydney's mind or something because she answered for her, "You do, don't you? You love Vaughn" she taunted, in a sing-songy voice. Sydney rolled her eyes, instantly lightening up at the sight of her mother being so childish. She smiled and said, "Yes mother, I suppose I do". Her admission felt good, someone else finally knew and she need not bottle up her feelings anymore. Sydney grinned - now she had someone who she could go to anytime and talk about her Guardian Angel. Feeling the urge to, she said (rather loudly), "I love Vaughn". Irina was happy to see Sydney happy but had to remind her daughter, "Sydney, don't shout too much, someone could be watching us and you'll only get in trouble."  
  
Sydney quietened down but the smile remained on her face. Suddenly aware of the time and the fact that her "run" shouldn't have lasted 2 hours, she whispered a quick "thank-you" to her mother and then left, hoping that no- one would notice her goofy grin, which she couldn't get rid of. It was like, now that she had said it out loud, her love for Vaughn seemed so much more real.  
  
Irina sat in silence, gazing in the direction where moments ago, Sydney had been loudly proclaiming her love for Vaughn. Her plan was going perfectly. Now she only needed and excuse to talk to agent Vaughn, contact a few people (though she didn't know how she was going to manage that) and things would be set into motion. However, she had a feeling that Vaughn would be harder to persuade into an admission. After all, he didn't trust her and probably wouldn't open up to her - she had asked him before but he didn't answer. Oh well, she had to at least try. And with that, Irina went to sit back down and resume her meditation. After all that had been said tonight, she needed to empty her mind. 


	4. The Talk Part 2

CHAPTER 4 - THE TALK (PART 2)  
  
It was already two days after she had persuaded Sydney into a confession and no-one had been to see her. Irina was getting worried. She hoped against hope that no one had in fact been listening to their conversation and that Sydney (or Vaughn for that matter) hadn't got into any trouble from their boss. Irina still wasn't sure how everything would play out and there were a lot of things that relied pretty much on luck that were needed for her plan to work. One of the major ones was Vaughn coming to see her. She really doubted that he would and was preying that there would be some mission or something which would make it necessary for him to talk to her.  
  
She was drawn out of her reverie by the familiar buzz of the gate. Irina thought that it would most likely be Sydney, maybe even Jack if he knew anything of the conversation between her and her daughter but she was amazed to see Agent Vaughn standing before her. Irina immediately got up, thoughts racing through her head as to why he might have come. She wanted it to be 'for his own reasons' but judging by the look in his eyes, she could tell that he only wanted information from her. "Still, at least now I can talk to him" she thought as she walked up to the glass.  
  
"We need to know where some disks concerning a wealthy arms dealer called Anatoli Golistin are being stored. We know that at one time you were in possession of these disks and we would like to send a team to retrieve them, so if you could please co-operate and." Vaughn was interrupted by Irina quickly saying, "They're in Kazakhstan, in a vault on the top floor of the Russian Embassy." Vaughn looked at her, quite shocked that she'd told him so quickly, he was expecting something like, "I only co-operate with Sydney" but instead he got a precise location. However, he asked no questions and instead, quickly jotted down the information, wondering whether it would be appropriate to say "thank you" but then deciding against it. Vaughn glanced at Irina, nodded slightly and turned to leave. He was still not comfortable in her presence and preferred not to be in it for too long.  
  
The sound of Irina's voice however, made him stay in his place - "I want to ask you something, Agent Vaughn," she said, rather slyly. Vaughn remained silent, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second as he figured what the question might be. "Are you in love with Sydney," she asked, as if it were a casual, everyday question like, "How are you". Irina had to stifle a laugh when she looked at Vaughn's instant pink face and stiff body. "That's none of your business," Vaughn replied gruffly, "besides, haven't we had this conversation before?" he asked, remembering back to the first time she'd asked him. He wasn't sure what made her so curious as to ask again, I mean, he very much doubted that she cared about how he felt so the only reason could be that she was planning on getting him into trouble. Vaughn was shocked when Irina, as if she had read his mind, said, "I'm not asking you this to get you into trouble. I know you don't trust me but I'm not completely evil, as you might think. I do have a heart and I know what its like to love someone." she paused, painful memories of using Jack flooding into her brain, but continued, saying simply, "All I want is for Sydney to be happy." He glanced at her, wondering what was causing her to act so out of character. It wasn't like her to open up to anyone - something was strange about this conversation - she must have some kind of plan, Vaughn surmised. Knowing that Vaughn wasn't going to open up without a friendly push, Irina decided to add (deliberately leaving out the words in love) "I have a feeling Sydney is, you know," waiting to see his response.  
  
"Sydney is what?" Vaughn replied, pretending to be clueless. "I think you know what I mean Agent Vaughn" Irina retorted, seeing right through his "clueless-ness". "Me too," Vaughn finally replied with a sigh, giving in to Irina. He knew that if he didn't answer her she'd only keep on pestering him. Besides, he had a weird feeling that something good might come out of this, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had a feeling. Vaughn actually wanted to say that he loved Sydney out loud but was still in deep shock from the implication that Sydney was, is in love with him. He knew from the way Irina was watching him, a wide grin on her face, that he must have a stupid smile on his own. "That's good, Agent Vaughn, very good" Irina added in a whisper that wasn't really meant for Vaughn's benefit but was more of a reassurance to herself that her plan was going perfectly.  
  
Sensing that the conversation was over, and wanting desperately to get out of the small space, Vaughn stated, "I think I've told you enough now, I believe it's very clear what my feelings toward your daughter are and I would appreciate it if this little conversation stayed between us." Irina simply said, "Fine," feeling that she had already got a lot out of him and that she needn't add anything else except, "I don't see why you can't tell her, screw protocol, her happiness - and I suppose yours, she added in her head - is more important. It's up to you I guess, but I just, don't understand" as a sort of rhetorical question, for him to think about. Vaughn just looked at her, as if to say, "You know I can't" and then walked away, leaving Irina to start planning the real action. 


	5. Contacts

CHAPTER 5 - CONTACTS  
  
Irina sat silently in the dreary cell, contemplating her plan, which was moving onto its second stage, the first having already been completed. This tiny, grey-walled room had been her home for almost 4 months and she missed her freedom and the intelligence world very much. "Freedom would be very useful right now," she mused. What Irina wanted to do for Sydney and Vaughn was extremely ambitious, especially considering her status - a prisoner, locked up in a CIA cell. However, she was confident that her plan might work; all she needed was a little help.  
  
Luckily, she knew for a fact that Sydney was coming to see her some time within the next hour, to report on whether the CIA had obtained the disks Vaughn had asked her about before. Sure enough, 10 minutes later, a smiling Sydney strolled up to the glass pane of her mother's cell. "Thanks again," she said warmly, "the disks were exactly where you said and the mission was a success, Devlin was pleased." "You're welcome," replied Irina, glad to see Sydney at ease and with a smile on her face. That was one of the main reasons she helped the CIA so much - it's not like she really cared about America's success in espionage, she just liked helping her daughter, keeping her out of trouble and harms way and being rewarded with a lovely, dimpled smile when her missions were successful.  
  
However now that the pleasantries were over, Irina decided to get to the point and ask Sydney for some help. She didn't want to and she knew that it would be far better to arrange things herself however, that obviously wasn't possible and Irina needed to get a message to a well know contact. To do that, she needed someone to take it for her. Of the three people she had frequent contact with; only one would even consider trusting her and taking the message - Sydney.  
  
She must have had a look of deep concentration on her face because Syd suddenly asked her, "What's wrong? What are you concentrating so hard on?" a hint of worry just barely traceable in her voice. "Nothings wrong, as such, but I need your help" Irina stated. Sydney didn't reply but continued listening and nodded for her mother to continue. "Well, I have something..er..planned but I need to contact an old friend who can sort it out and I need." Irina was interrupted by Sydney finishing off her sentence - "You need me to take a message to him," she said unemotionally. "Right," Irina nodded, waiting to see Sydney's reaction to her request. "Mom, I'm sorry but you can't expect me to do that. I may trust you but the CIA certainly doesn't and judging by your KGB past, I have to question your motives. What is it that you are trying to sort out? If I am to carry a message for you, you'll have to assure me that it had nothing to do with espionage, arms dealing etc. and I need to know what it's about," Sydney explained slowly.  
  
Irina, seemingly shocked that her daughter wasn't as willing to help as she had anticipated, replied, "Sydney, I assure you that it has NOTHING to do with the things you just mentioned. The contact is merely a good friend from back when I lived here with your father. He owns several properties, one of which is a beautiful villa about 70 miles north of L.A.." again, she was interrupted by her daughter. "Why do you want access to a villa?" Sydney asked, obviously confused. "That's a secret, but I promise you, it's purely for your and Agent Vaughn's benefit," Irina quickly answered. Then, upon realising her slip, instantly tensed up. It wasn't like her to slip up so easily, it must be the effect of being 'out of the business' for a while. Sure enough, her super-spy daughter picked up on her mistake and asked cautiously, "What does Vaughn have to do with all this?" "Please Sydney," Irina pleaded, "stop asking so many questions! "You understand why I have to though, don't you mom?" Sydney said, "If I take a message for you and ANYONE finds out, I'll be in worse trouble then you can imagine."  
  
Irina realised this and had thought about it a great deal, she had no intention of getting her daughter into any kind of trouble and if she could do this another way, she would. Unfortunately, this was the only was she could think of. Besides, she knew that Syd wouldn't be suspected for anything - the guy she needed to contact also owned a jewellery store downtown and was frequently there. Even if someone was watching Syd, they wouldn't suspect anything if she simply went into a jewellery store.  
  
"Ok, Sydney I understand your concerns but I'm certain that you will be in no danger. All you have to do is take this letter," she gave Syd the letter written on a scrap of paper she had kept after Sydney had given her some, along with a pencil a few months ago - "to Bling's Jewellery Store on the corner of Mason and O'Farrell and give it to a guy called Peter Wright."  
  
"That's it?" Sydney asked, surprised. "Yep, that's it. And you have my word; this is nothing to do with the KGB or any other intelligence agency. Think of it as my gift to you." Irina said, hoping that this time Sydney would accept.  
  
"Ok, I'll do it. But you have to understand that if this is not what you say it is, and something bad happens as a consequence, you will be arrested again and this time, I won't be able to get you out." Sydney stated. She really didn't want to have to threaten her mother but she felt the need to. Irina had to understand what a huge risk Sydney was taking by offering to deliver the letter.  
  
"Thank you" Irina added genuinely. She smiled reassuringly at Sydney, who still seemed unsure of what she was doing. Syd then proceeded to leave, her once confident steps, now a little shaky as she no doubt went over the risks of this 'mission' in her head.  
  
Once Sydney was gone, Irina breathed a sigh of relief. It hadn't gone as well as hoped but at least Sydney had agreed eventually. Now all she had to do was wait for confirmation from her contact and everything would be set. 


	6. Decisions

CHAPTER 6 - DECISIONS  
  
Peter,  
  
Long time no see. I need some help. Can you arrange for the villa to be vacant and for a top chef to cook a meal for a party of two next Saturday? I want to surprise my daughter Sydney and her friend to a meal out on the terrace. I realise it's a big favour but you still owe me from back when I helped with 'the party'.  
  
Thank you for your assistance, I would appreciate if this was kept a secret and that the chef does not stay on the premises during the meal.  
  
I await your confirmation,  
  
Laura Bristow  
  
Sydney sat at home, reading her mother's letter. She knew for a fact that Irina did not want her to read it, but how could she not? Admittedly, Sydney felt a tiny bit guilty, but years of being a spy had taught her to never trust anyone completely. So she just sat there, on the couch, reading the slightly crumpled page, again and again, trying to digest what she had just learned.  
  
Syd winced when she saw that her mother had signed the letter using her old alias and was instantly angry. She had no right to! Laura Bristow was dead! The few memories she had of Laura flooded back to her and a stray tear trickled down Sydney's cheek. She quickly wiped it away, and reasoned that if it was a friend of her mothers from when she lived here so long ago, then she had to use the name 'Laura'. Still, it was painful.  
  
To be honest, Sydney couldn't believe what she was reading. A million questions whirled around in her head, making her almost dizzy. Was this what her mother was planning? A meal at a picturesque villa? It sounded too good to be true, there must be a catch somewhere. And who could the friend be? She had never mentioned Will or Francie to her mom which only left..Vaughn. "Don't be stupid Syd; Irina is no way setting you up on a date with him! Wishful thinking! She's not that nice! Is she?" Sydney mused. She couldn't believe this was happening. Were her dreams coming true? Could she finally have a date with her Guardian Angel? Sydney couldn't think what to do, the questions just kept coming and coming - then reality struck. This couldn't happen. What if someone followed her or Vaughn to the villa? What if it was a set up? - I mean, who was this Peter? And what was 'the party'? Why did the words have apostrophes around them? Was it a codename for something? Sydney hated the fact that being a spy had left her not even trusting her own mother or a probably completely innocent letter. But she didn't trust them and Syd knew that the only way to calm down, other then having a nice hot bath and a glass of wine (which in this case probably wouldn't work), was to run a background check on this 'Peter Wright'.  
  
Which is what she did later that day and was slightly disappointed that nothing came up on the CIA records, he was just an average wealthy businessman who dabbled in a bit of everything but showed no signs dabbling in espionage or arms dealing. Sydney knew she should be glad but the truth was that she had almost expected him to be KGB and learning that he wasn't came as a bit of a shock. Also, it somehow, made the possibility of this actually happening, more real - and that scared her. At least if he had turned out to be a spy, she could have thrown away the letter and forgotten about the whole thing, but now, she was faced with the decision between keeping her word and delivering the letter or getting rid of it and forever wondering what could have been.  
  
Sydney let out a heavy sigh. She knew that she loved Vaughn, and her mother knew and of course she wanted more then anything to go to this villa with him but she couldn't help but be worried sick for them both. There were countless things which could go wrong! Had Irina not thought about this? Didn't the fact that her daughter hadn't been on a date with him yet say something to her mother? Because to Sydney, the words date, her and Vaughn just didn't belong in the same sentence (much as she wished they could) and only shouted to her 'AGAINST PROTOCOL' and 'DANGER'.  
  
Besides, even if this could work, how was she going to get Vaughn there, without telling him? After all, it was intended to be a surprise for both of them - she now knew but that didn't mean that she had to spoil it for Vaughn too. Then again, Syd knew that he wasn't just gonna get in a car, drive 70 miles to a place neither of them knew, and have a meal cooked by some random chef, all the while risking their lives! Actually, if she asked him, he probably would do that, for her. Sydney chuckled at the thought but that wasn't the point, it was too much of a risk and she had no idea what to do.  
  
The only person that could help sort this out was the last person she wanted to tell! Sydney smiled; she could always talk to Will. Then again, maybe not such a good idea, she knew how jealous he was of Vaughn and how overprotective of her. A small chuckle escaped from her lips, how ironic, Vaughn was jealous of Will too!  
  
Distractedly, Sydney glanced up at the clock. Stores would be closing soon and Irina wanted the letter delivered today. She needed to make a decision, fast.  
  
So there and then, Sydney jumped head first into possible danger and followed her heart. She decided that she and Vaughn would find a way to make this work, even if it meant taking complicated routes to the villa and leaving at different times - it was going to work. Sydney realised what a wonderful thing her mom was trying to do for her and she couldn't be so ungrateful as to not even try to go to the villa. She got up, put her coat and shoes on and headed out of the door to the jewellery store, satisfied that she had managed to think this through and come to a decision - something which Syd doubted she could do when first reading the letter. Now her only problem was Vaughn - should she tell him, or not? 


	7. Surprise!

CHAPTER 7 - SURPRISE!  
  
*1 week later*  
  
The loud ringing of his phone startled Vaughn, who was half asleep on the couch watching an old game of hockey he had taped a while ago. After letting it ring a few times, he finally stumbled off the couch, reached the phone and answered, "Hello?" "Joey's Pizza?" a hopeful, familiar voice asked. Vaughn's heart skipped a beat and he paused for a second - there were no missions, why was Syd calling? (Not that he minded hearing her voice of course)  
  
"Are you ok?" He quickly asked; his voice instantly full of concern. "I mean.er.you have the wrong number," he added, realising they shouldn't actually start a conversation.  
  
Vaughn put the phone down and stood there for a minute, thoughts racing through his head as to why she might have called. "At least she didn't sound upset," he concluded as he walked into his bedroom to get changed from his current attire - an old kings shirt and navy boxers. He decided to go with the simple and wear some jeans and a black sweater. Next he combed his extremely tousled hair, which even after combing, seemed to stay somewhat dishevelled. Vaughn then left the house, not forgetting to pat Donovan on the head before he left, and drove to the warehouse as fast as possible.  
  
Syd meanwhile was already at the warehouse, pleased with herself for getting there before Vaughn, which never really happened. She paced up and down the caged, crate-filled 'room', pondering how she was going to deal with Vaughn and the villa thing. Syd hoped he would hurry up a bit, cause she was getting more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by and if he didn't show up any minute, she might lose her nerve.  
  
Luckily for Sydney, the sound of gentle, Vaughn-footsteps soon made its way to her ears. She turned around and looked at him, almost going weak at the knees looking at his gorgeous smile. "Hey," she whispered, flashing him her nicest smile and discretely checking him out. The jeans were just right, not to tight, not too baggy and the sweater fit him like a second skin, accentuating his well toned body. (God, she hoped she wasn't drooling) "Hey yourself," answered Vaughn, stepping closer to her to take a seat on the crate next to her. "What's up? There aren't any missions, well at least not from the CIA - is SD-6 sending you on one? Is there a problem?" Vaughn knew he was rambling like an idiot but he was really worried about her. Granted, that beautiful, dimpled smile she had given him had calmed him down a bit, well, his worrying side anyway. His little ramble was interrupted by Syd saying, "Vaughn, calm down. The reason I called you has nothing to do with work, I have a surprise for you" she paused, thinking how to phrase the next part what she was going to say and waiting for any kind of reaction. Sydney was delighted when she saw his eyes instantly light up and the lines disappear from his head. "A surprise?" Vaughn asked, a hint of disbelief traceable in his voice. "Yes, a surprise which means I can't tell you where we're going -"We?" he interrupted again. "Vaughn please, let me say this." He nodded, allowing her to continue, his excitement building by the minute. "Ok, so, the place is 70 miles away, up at Morro Bay - I'll show you on a map in a second, I have one with me. We'd have to go completely different ways but, if you could be there at around eight?" Sydney explained, hoping that he didn't already know what was there and also that he would agree to come, cause he hadn't said yes yet and she was already telling him what time she wanted them to meet. Vaughn hesitated slightly, obviously processing the information, and then replied, "Sure, I'm in, I trust you" with a smile. In his head he added, "Anything for you Syd." Sydney grinned widely, for the second time that night. "I only have a couple questions. You said what time but when is this 'surprise' supposed to be happening? Also, how am I meant to be dressing?" "Its tonight, and semi-formal will be fine" answered Sydney, not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice. "Tonight?!" Vaughn exclaimed loudly, as more of a statement then a question. Great, that didn't exactly give him much time. He could see Syd tense up, possible thinking that he was having doubts so he decided to ease the tension by adding with a grin, "It's nice to see that we're not rushing this, Syd." Sydney chuckled a bit. It was unbelievable how fast he could take all her doubts and worries away.  
  
They talked for another few minutes, discussing which routes each would take. Vaughn kept asking questions about everything, but Sydney understood that she wasn't exactly telling him a whole lot and that he was probably just worried about their safety. She was too but had decided last week that this was worth the risk - which wasn't actually that big cause the villa was in the middle of no where, no one was gonna disturb them. Still, she had felt the need at the time to say, "Thanks Vaughn, for trusting me about tonight. I promise you won't be disappointed" He had nodded in response and it was settled.  
  
Finally, half an hour later, Syd said her goodbyes to Vaughn, immensely glad that she would be seeing him again that night, and the two headed their separate ways to get ready for the big night. 


	8. Preparations

CHAPTER 8 - PREPARATIONS  
  
Sydney walked through the door, beaming with her 100 watt smile that had become a permanent fixture on her face ever since she left the warehouse.  
  
"Hey Francie! How are ya?" she asked cheerfully. Francie looked at her in disbelief and answered, "Ok, who are you and what have you done with Sydney?" Syd chuckled, "Can't I be happy once in a while?" "Sure!" replied Francie, who, after receiving no further enlightenment from her friend, couldn't resist enquiring, "Ok, spill. Why are you so happy?" with a sly grin. She was so pleased that Syd finally looked content - ok, content was an understatement, this girl looked ecstatic!  
  
"Well..." Sydney began, "I have a date tonight!" The second part was said much quicker in a giddy sort of way. Francie smiled again and came over to hug her best friend, at the same time replying, "That's great hon! It's about time! Anyone I know?"  
  
Just as Sydney was about to answer, Francie added, "Is it the picture-frame -guy? (As Vaughn had come to be known around their house.) "Actually, yes," Sydney answered, still fashioning her goofy smile.  
  
"Oh my gosh? Is he hot?" Sydney giggled, they were talking like school girls, but it was fun so what the heck! "Unbelievably," she answered simply, with a dreamy look in her eyes as she thought about Vaughn.  
  
"Ahhh!" Francie squealed. She was beginning to look more excited than Syd! Once they had both calmed down, Francie asked, in a serious tone, "What are you going to wear?"  
  
"Oh god! I don't know." Sydney said, as if she had forgotten about that minor detail. Francie started, "It has to be something that's sure to drive him crazy! Something sexy, but not seeming to eager, classy and feminine, but not old fashioned and..." "Since when did you become such a fashion expert, Fran?" Syd interrupted, giggling at how her best friend was really getting into this.  
  
"Come on," Francie said as she dragged Sydney to her bedroom, "I'll help you choose something out, because I know if it's left up to you, you'll still be here at midnight and we don't have that much time."  
  
Sydney just rolled her eyes and complied.  
  
One and a half hours and 50 tries later, Sydney was washed and had finally decided on her outfit for the evening - a simple black halter dress made out of silky material. It had a completely open back (except for two criss- crossing straps) and some diamond studs where the material tied round her neck. The dress fit her like a glove and hung loosely just past her knees. After making Syd twirl for her, Francie remarked, "Honey, you look beautiful. Picture-frame guy is one lucky s.o.b!" Sydney giggled at the way Francie expressed herself and slightly blushed. "Thanks Fran, for everything." "Your welcome, I'm just glad that you're finally back in the game after." Francie paused, unsure if she should say the name. "After Danny," Sydney finished for her. "Its ok Fran, you can say his name. I'll never stop loving Danny, but I think he of all people would want me to continue my life and be happy and finally, I'm starting to accept that," she added, her eyes glistening with a few unshed tears. Francie walked over to her and they hugged for a minute.  
  
The two friends were rudely interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "Will that be him?" Francie asked. "No, we agreed we were going separately," Sydney replied, suddenly getting worried that Vaughn might have done something stupid (but romantic) like coming to pick her up. "Ok, I'll go get it; you just carry on putting on your makeup" Francie decided.  
  
Sydney did so, but listened to see who it was. She was slightly surprised to hear Will's voice floating into her room. "Great," Sydney muttered under her breath in an annoyed way as she made her way into the lounge to greet him. She really didn't have time to answer all the irritating questions she was sure he would ask when she told him her plans for the night. "Hey Will," Syd greeted, trying to sound pleased to see him. "What brings you here?" She asked pointedly, hoping that he would take the hint that now was not the time and leave.  
  
"Erm.nothing really, just wanted to see how you were and." Will paused, suddenly noticing how Sydney was dressed. His mouth was threatening to drop open - she looked amazing he thought to himself, but decided to go with, "Where are you off to?" trying to sound as casual about it as possible. "Sydney has a date, "Francie said, knowingly teasing Will. "Oh really," Will squeaked out, his voice betraying the calm façade he had somehow managed to put up. "Who with?" Again, Francie answered for Sydney in a smug voice, "the picture-frame- guy." "Thanks, Fran. I can speak for myself you know," Syd added, not really irritated but wanting to talk to Will herself. She knew Francie meant well, even if she was teasing him a bit, but Syd also knew that Will was in love with her and probably not too pleased about this latest development.  
  
Sensing how tense it had suddenly become in the room, Francie made a lame excuse and left to "do some ironing", apparently in her bedroom.  
  
"So you're going out with Vaughn?" Will asked, although Sydney knew it was more of a comment then a question so she just nodded. "Are you sure that's safe, I mean, aren't you always being watched? And I thought you said that protocol didn't allow for that kind of stuff?"  
  
Sydney sighed. She had anticipated these questions from him but didn't really want to answer them - what was the point, he would still be jealous anyway.  
  
"Will, everything will be fine" Syd replied, more as a reassurance to herself than for his benefit.  
  
Will just nodded, understanding that she didn't need the third degree from him. He was just glad to see her happy... Wait, who was he kidding!? He was jealous as hell of Vaughn right now! Not that he could do anything about it. He had seen the way she was whenever Vaughn's name was mentioned, and how her eyes lit up every time there was a "Joey's Pizza" call.  
  
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Syd spoke up saying, "I have to finish doing my makeup now," and turned to leave.  
  
"Of course you do, "Will replied and as an afterthought added, "Be careful." He then proceeded to leave quickly, not wanting to stay any longer.  
  
Francie, hearing the door close, came out of hiding and walked into the bathroom where Sydney was busy adding finishing touches to her makeup.  
  
"How did he take it?" Fran asked hopefully. "Not too well but I'm sure he'll deal," Syd replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. She loved Will too, but only as a friend and she hated seeing him miserable, especially when she knew it was because of her. Francie agreed and then left Syd alone.  
  
Ten minutes later, Syd emerged from the bathroom and earned a "wow" from Francie. She smiled and gathered her things.  
  
"Ok Fran, this is it," she cried excitedly. "I have to set off now cause the place we are meeting at is at least an hour's drive away."  
  
"Alright, have fun!" Francie yelled as Syd walked out of the house and to her car, after having checked her appearance for the 100th time in the hallway mirror.  
  
"I will," Sydney yelled back, before driving off to her dream date which, thanks to her mother was only an hour away. Which reminded her, she had to make one important stop on the way. 


	9. Thank You

CHAPTER 9 - THANK YOU  
  
After driving like a maniac through the busy LA streets and shaking off at least two tails, Sydney finally arrived at the CIA Operations Center and made her way quickly to her mother's cell. Granted, her journey to the villa would have been much quicker if she didn't have to make this huge detour but Syd realised that she couldn't go without thanking her mom, after all, this was her doing.  
  
Irina smiled broadly at Sydney, who in turn took her usual place by the glass pane. "Sydney, what brings you here?" her mother asked with interest, obviously not expecting to see her. Knowing that time was running short, Syd got straight to the point. "I just wanted to say thank you," she replied with a little smile, "for everything." Irina gave her a small nod, but didn't say anything, afraid that her words would drip with unnecessary emotion that she didn't want to express.  
  
Much as Sydney wanted to stay and talk to her mother, she was much to excited about her date and couldn't wait to leave this place - which elicited a small amount of guilt from her. "Sorry mom, I would like to stay but I still have an hours drive to Mr. Wright's villa and I don't want to be late," Syd explained, hoping that her mom would understand. Once again Irina smiled at her daughter, who finally looked happy. A tear made its way to her eye but she refused to cry, it wasn't her style. Instead, she just answered, as enthusiastically as possible for a former KGB agent, "Of course. I hope you have a great evening!"  
  
Just as Syd was about to leave, she added, "And Syd, you look great, don't worry about a thing." This earned a wide grin from Sydney, who was both surprised and glad that her mother had read her mind's doubts and reassured her. After a quick "goodbye", Sydney made her way back her car and hurriedly set off again. 


	10. The Date Part 1

CHAPTER 10 - THE DATE (PART 1)  
  
Sydney sped along the highway, pushing 80, determined to get there before Vaughn. Luckily since she had passed the LA city boundary, she had only encountered one tail, which had easily been shaken. She silently grumbled at how the journey seemed to be taking ages and her nerves weren't exactly lessening as time went on. Frustrated, Sydney pressed the search button on the radio again in the hopes of finding one decent station to listen to; however after listening to a random love song for about 30 seconds she decided that maybe the radio wasn't the best remedy for pre-date nerves.  
  
Naturally, Syd's thoughts shifted to Vaughn. She wondered what he had decided to wear, if he was a bit nervous too, if he was finding his way alright..her thoughts quickly came to a halt and were replaced by an extreme excitement when she finally saw a sign saying: Morro Bay, ½ mile. "Oh thank god!" Sydney whispered to herself - she had begun to worry that she'd gone the wrong way.  
  
Ten minutes later, Syd was making her way up the stone steps to the front door of the villa. She had looked around and couldn't see Vaughn's car, which at first, pleased her because she had wanted to be the first to arrive, but then, an ounce of fear made its way into her mind and she hoped that nothing had happened. Sydney shook her head as if to get rid of the thoughts and concentrated instead, on the beauty which was surrounding her.  
  
The huge villa looked traditionally Spanish-style, with its white-washed stone walls and red-tiled roof. Hanging baskets of sweetly-scented flowers swayed in the gentle breeze and the smell of dinner was wafting through an open window, which Sydney assumed belonged to the kitchen. In the distance, she could hear the waves of the Pacific Ocean, crashing against the rugged California coastline.  
  
"This is it," Sydney whispered as she knocked on the old wooden door. An old man, presumably the butler answered the door and welcomed her in, but not before asking her her name. Sydney had thought for a second about whether she should use an alias but decided that she wanted this night to be about Sydney and Michael, not some two made-up people who didn't actually exist. So she simply gave him her real name and stepped inside the marvellous building.  
  
Sydney couldn't help but say "wow" when she took a look around the elaborate hallway she had stepped into. The walls were painted a sunny yellow and various paintings in gold picture frames hung around the room. The villa, although very large, felt homely which was nice. Just then the 'butler' spoke up and asked her, "Would you like to wait here for your friend or would you prefer to go out onto the terrace, miss?"  
  
Sydney thought for a second, and decided that she would stay where she was, so that she could see Vaughn's reaction when he entered. "I'll stay here, thank you," she answered politely and the butler proceeded to leave, presumably to prepare the drinks. She had to give her mom credit, this was very well organised. Actually, when she thought about it, Syd realised it was actually this "Peter Wright" who had organised it all, Irina had only asked him. "He must have owed her a pretty big favour" she mused, "I must remember to contact and thank him when this is over."  
  
Suddenly she sensed a presence behind her. "That's weird, I didn't hear the door," Sydney thought, puzzled, before she turned around. She almost gasped when two beautiful, emerald green eyes met her own. "Vaughn, hey, you made it," she said in a floaty voice. "Of course I made it," Vaughn replied with a smile that made her melt. 'God Syd, control yourself, the date has barely begun and you're already going weak at the knees' said a little, well known voice in her head. She looked back at Vaughn, who seemed just as impressed with the place as she had been.  
  
"Wow, Sydney, this place is incredible! How did you manage to find it and sort all of this - he gestured around the room with his hand - out?" "I have my contacts," replied Sydney, wondering whether she should tell him that it was all her mother's idea but deciding that it might upset the wonderful atmosphere that had become a permanent fixture since he had entered the room.  
  
"You know, you never cease to amaze me Sydney Bristow," Vaughn remarked, causing Sydney to blush furiously. For a minute they just gazed into each other's eyes, unspoken words and emotions being conveyed in single glances. However, their calm, content silence was broken by the butler who had chosen to walk into the room at that very minute, and who was oblivious to the fact that he had just ruined a perfect moment. Sydney and Vaughn both stared at the short, white-haired man, waiting for him to speak.  
  
"Your meal is ready, please follow me to the terrace" he requested kindly. Sydney and Vaughn followed him through the house, stopping every once in a while to admire some beautiful architecture or a painting and glancing at each other with broad grins on both their faces. The 'terrace' was right at the back of the villa, which explained why Sydney couldn't see it when she first arrived. The butler stopped in front of a pair of dark oak doors and gestured with his had, asking them to enter.  
  
Vaughn swiftly opened the door and was once again amazed at the sight. "After you" he said to Sydney, who proceeded to walk through the doors and out onto the terracotta-tiled terrace. 


	11. The Date Part 2

CHAPTER 11 - THE DATE (PART 2)  
  
Sydney's eyes grew even wider as she took everything in. The terrace was about the size of an average room, but seemed much more spacious. Old wooden beams with green vines woven around them rested on supports, giving the impression of a "roof" without blocking out the evening sky, which was dusted with pearly-white stars. More hanging baskets hung from the beams and various other plants surrounded the impressive centrepiece - a small, marble, candlelit table, set for two, complemented by two elegant chairs and a silk table-cloth.  
  
Syd, suddenly realising that her mouth had dropped open, closed it and looked over at Vaughn, who had made his way to the end of the terrace and was leaning on the red brick wall, admiring the view over the ocean.  
  
Vaughn noticed Sydney beside him and turned to face her. 'God, she's beautiful' he thought. Her dress fit her extremely well and clung to just the right places and her hair was swept off her face with only a few soft wisps hanging down to frame it. Pure beauty was radiating off her, and the waves were hitting him hard. "Am I dreaming?" Vaughn unintentionally thought out loud. In reply he felt a soft pinch on his arm. "Hey," he said playfully, feigning that he was hurt. "Well, you thought you were dreaming," Sydney said just as playfully, "I was just proving that you weren't - this is real." She gave him one of those remarkable dimpled-smiles and Vaughn quietly sighed. 'Good job Michael, you've fallen for her so hard your heartbeat almost triples every time she smiles - and the meal hasn't even started!' he thought, this time remembering not to say it out loud.  
  
Hearing Vaughn's sigh, Sydney immediately tensed up and a worried expression made its way onto her beautiful face. "What's wrong Vaughn? I heard you sighing, is this all ok?" she asked him softly. "It was a content sigh, don't worry Syd, I was just thinking how perfect this is and how lucky I am to be doing this with you" Vaughn replied tenderly, and then added teasingly, "You didn't think for one second that I was disappointed in what you've set up? Did you?" Sydney looked down at an unidentifiable piece of dirt on the floor, which had suddenly become immensely interesting and sheepishly nodded 'yes'  
  
"Sydney, I could never be disappointed with you or anything you do. Like I said, you are the most beautiful, amazing, strong person I know. Never doubt that" Vaughn reassured gently and then suddenly realised that maybe he was being a bit to romantic for the 'first date'.  
  
Sydney was truly touched by his words and for about the 500th time in her life, was still stunned at how he could always say the right thing to her. She knew she was still blushing after the 'beautiful' comment but didn't care. "Vaughn, thank you" she whispered, gazing into his deep green eyes for just a second, and then returning her gaze to the ground, afraid that if she looked at those eyes any longer she might get lost in them forever. Sydney could feel tears taking their usual place in her own eyes - a not so uncommon occurrence in her life, the only difference was, now, they were tears of happiness.  
  
Vaughn must have seen her eyes glistening with unshed tears, for suddenly, she felt the strong, muscular arms of her handler wrapped gently around her. His embrace was so solid and comforting and she felt so safe and protected in his arms, yet it was still all so gentle - another thing which amazed her about Michael Vaughn.  
  
All too soon, their loving embrace came to an end and the two made their way to the table, noticing that dinner was just being served.  
  
"Mmmmmmmmmm," Sydney murmured out of pure delight, "this smells wonderful." She smiled at the chef, who smiled back and then proceeded to leave, along with the butler who had just poured drinks. "I agree," added Vaughn, before taking a sip of his chardonnay. "And this is just the starter," added Sydney with another smile. She looked down at their plates which housed half an avocado, filled with prawns and seafood sauce; the whole dish decorated with sprigs of parsley and decoratively arranged lemon slices.  
  
They ate quietly for the rest of the meal, exchanging only glances and wide grins every time a new dish arrived at their table. Talk was minimal, only a few childhood anecdotes scattered between compliments (mostly to her) and deep gazes. There just seemed no need to chat all the way through this exquisite meal when they could convey all their emotions through their eyes. However, even through the small amount of conversation, Sydney realised that Vaughn knew so much more about her then she knew about him and silently made a promise to herself that she would ask him all the things she wanted to know later, like - what his favourite colour was? What his school was like? Whether he had siblings, who he shared his first kiss with...ok, maybe the last one wouldn't be so appropriate given that it may well lead to discomfort and something she wasn't sure if they were ready for yet.  
  
The best 2 hours of her life sadly came to an end after the most delicious dessert of fruit sorbet. They had both purposely eaten slowly, to prolong the whole experience, neither wanting it to stop - but it had to sometime. 'Not that this is the end of the night' Sydney thought with a smile. They stayed seated for a while longer, finishing off the wine and talking a little bit more then they had during dinner but decided to go for a long walk on the beach to talk properly - both still afraid of cameras or bugs.  
  
Vaughn was the first one to stand up. He walked over to Sydney, and pulled out her chair so she could stand easily. 'Oh, he is such a gentleman' Sydney thought lovingly.  
  
"So Miss Bristow, would you care to accompany me for a moonlit stroll along the beach?" asked Vaughn with a playful twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Certainly Mr. Vaughn," replied Sydney in the same tone of voice as he had used.  
  
So they made their way down another set of steps, just like the ones at the villa's entrance, which led right down onto the beach. Sydney's strappy, very high-heeled shoes were impossible to walk in on normal ground, let alone on sand, so she carefully took them off, leaning on Vaughn for support.  
  
Once that small task was completed, Vaughn and Syd were free to gently stroll along the soft sand under the star-filled black velvet sky.  
  
'This really is heaven' thought Sydney again for the millionth time that night, before taking Vaughn's hand and setting off along the deserted beach. 


	12. Love

CHAPTER 12 - LOVE  
  
It was unbelievably peaceful on the beach; only the sound of the strong waves lapping against the shore could be heard. Sydney walked slowly, allowing the cool sensation of the water to mix with the feeling of coarse sand under her feet. Unlike her calm, collected exterior, Syd's mind was full of burning questions and thoughts. She was still trying to process how a few weeks ago, this was pretty much impossible and now, such a short time later, she was somehow walking along the most beautiful beach with the man she loved, a million miles away from her problems.  
  
A sudden gust of wind hit them and Sydney shivered. Instinctively, she moved closer to Vaughn, who in turn put a protecting arm around her. She sighed, allowing her head to gently drop onto his shoulder and they continued walking. She commented, "This beach seems to go on forever, how long have we been walking?" They paused for a second, while Vaughn checked his watch. "11:45," he replied, "why? Are you tired?"  
  
"No, I just thought maybe we could sit down and talk for a while. Look, there's a little bench a bit further on," she replied, pointing in the direction of the small, wooden seat for two. "Sure, ok." Vaughn agreed and they made their way to the bench to sit down.  
  
"So, Miss Bristow, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Vaughn asked teasingly. "Nothing in particular. It's just, during dinner it suddenly struck me that you know so much about me but I hardly know anything about you," Sydney answered, almost sadly. There was silence for a minute and then Sydney suddenly asked, "Vaughn?" "Mmm?" "Tell me about your past. How was your childhood? What was your school like?" she enquired, hoping that it didn't come out sounding like she was nosey. "Well, I grew up in France which was great. I lived in a small village in Fleury, Normandy so everyone was really close and friendly. Naturally I went to the village school, which was ok, but I think I'd prefer something a bit livelier - there weren't many pupils so school was pretty quiet," Vaughn answered truthfully, pausing every few words and smiling at the memories. "That sounds lovely," Sydney commented, wishing that her childhood had been like his and not the screwed up mess that it was. Vaughn just nodded.  
  
"What about your favourite colour?" Sydney asked, as if she was playing a game of 20 questions. "Erm..I'm not too sure. Probably green, or navy, or black." Sydney giggled at his indecisiveness and added, "Green would match your eyes," not knowing why she'd said that but feeling the need to anyway. "Yeh, I guess it would" Vaughn said, gazing deeply into the chocolate-brown windows into Sydney's soul.  
  
They stayed there for a minute, just enjoying the silence. Sydney was the one to break it. "Vaughn, I need to tell you something," she said seriously. Her hands were beginning to shake and her heartbeat had already doubled. 'It's now or never Syd' added the voice in her head, which recently seemed to be talking to her a lot. To be honest, Sydney really wasn't sure if she was ready to admit her feelings for him. However, she realised that they might not get another opportunity like this for a long time.  
  
Vaughn sensed that the mood had suddenly changed from being happy and playful to very serious and he watched Sydney intently, awaiting her next comment. He silently prayed that it was the same thing as he had been wanting to say for a long time, but couldn't be sure.  
  
"Vaughn..I love you," Sydney said abruptly, her voice full of emotion, "And I've tried not to, every day, but I just can't stop. I can't stop loving you, damit! And every time I look in your beautiful eyes, I get lost in them..Oh Vaughn, I love you more then anything and I just need you to know that, cause if anything happens to me." she stopped, tears streaming down her cheeks and her body shaking from the sobs and her sudden announcement. She knew she'd babbled, but didn't care.  
  
Vaughn, finding it hard to cover his joy at what she'd just said, pulled her close to him, whispering comforting words in her ear, mostly in French.  
  
After a minute, Sydney had composed herself and looked up at Vaughn, desperately, trying to see if he felt the same way. It was Vaughn's turn to confess.  
  
"Sydney, I love you too. I have done since I first laid eyes on you. I can't begin to explain how overjoyed I am at what you just said - because I feel exactly the same way.." he paused to wipe a single tear which had made it's way down her cheek and continued gently, "Sydney, you really are the most amazing person I have ever met. You're insanely beautiful, incredibly smart and the strongest, most persistent person I know. Every time you go on a mission, I go crazy; worrying about you, praying that you'll come back to me. Every time you come to me, broken, my heart breaks too. Sydney Bristow, I love you, more than the world it self." Vaughn finished his speech and only hoped that his words had come out sincere and didn't sound cheesy. After a moment he added, "I know this is against protocol, but right now, I don't care. I broke protocol the day we met, by falling head- over-heels in love with you, and I'm not gonna stop now."  
  
They quickly embraced and sat there, content in each other's arms but overwhelmed by their raging emotions. When they broke apart, Sydney looked at Vaughn, questioning if she should do what she wanted to do so much. His eyes revealed so much love and passion and without realising it, her lips found his. The kiss was incredible and bound all their feelings together in one heavenly sensation. It was slow and sweet but became more passionate and hungry towards the end. Eventually they broke apart, coming up for vitally important air which had been used up, exploring each others' mouths.  
  
Vaughn stared at her, allowing a huge smile to play on his tender lips. Syd brought up a hand to her own lips which still tingled from his touch. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that." Vaughn commented. "Not as long as I have," Sydney answered, her wide smile matching his.  
  
Suddenly aware that it was just past twelve, Vaughn and Syd simultaneously got up off the bench. Vaughn was still proudly wearing his loving smile but noticed that Syd's had disappeared and was yet again, replaced by a few tears. "Hey," he cooed soothingly, gently rubbing her arm,"don't cry, the kiss wasn't that bad," he said, attempting a lame joke. Despite herself, Sydney giggled. "No, it's not that. I was just thinking." Vaughn interrupted her, "You were thinking what's going to happen next." Sydney nodded sheepishly, not bothering to hide her worry. "Truthfully Syd, I don't know. My mid is still trying to figure out if I'm in heaven, after what you said and what we just did. I know things are never gonna be the same, now that we've confessed our feelings but I assure you," he said quickly, not wanting her to cry again, "we'll find a way. We'll MAKE THIS WORK," he finished, emphasizing the last part in an effort to convince both of them. Sydney, in response, hugged him again and kissed his cheek, whispering a 'thank you'.  
  
The couple walked soundlessly back to the villa, which by now was deserted; grabbed their coats; took one more look at the terrace as if to commit the lovely scene to memory and headed out the door.  
  
A sudden sadness hung in the air around them, as each in turn realised that they had to return home separately and follow different routes, once again returning to all their problems back in LA. Just before getting into her car, Sydney walked up to Vaughn, kissed him passionately once more and whispered that she loved him, before returning to the car and driving off into the peaceful night, her life changed forever. 


	13. Epilogue

EPILOGUE  
  
Sydney's confident, quick strides echoed through the almost deserted hallway. A beaming smile was resident on her face and her good mood radiated off her relaxed body, infecting those who got near her instantly.  
  
She walked through the gate into her mother's prison, her mood instantly coming down a few notches when she realised how wonderful her life had just become, and how awful her mother's life would remain, in this cold cell.  
  
Irina looked at her daughter and barely recognised her. This was not the stubborn, pain filled woman who denied herself happiness because of protocol- no, this was a knew, confident woman who's happiness was shining off her. "Sydney, I trust things went well last night. You look different, happy." Irina said slowly, pleased that she had decided to do this for her daughter.  
  
"I am mom. Last night my life changed - I told Vaughn I loved him and he confessed that to me. The villa was incredible, in fact, everything was perfect...Thank you, mom" Sydney said, smiling as she spoke.  
  
"Your welcome. I'm glad you two finally shared your feelings and it's nice to see you finally happy." Irina added, unable to hide her own smile and satisfaction that her plan had worked.  
  
"I have to go now, I have a meeting with Sloane but I wanted to thank you again. Up until now, I couldn't have imagined that ever realistically happening. I thought that I would never go on a date with Vaughn. But you made it happen and I'll be forever grateful for that." Sydney said. And with that she left to start her new life, as Vaughn's girlfriend, leaving Irina amazed at how powerful three words could be and just how much they can change your life. 


End file.
